


The Best Solution

by IdontlikeIobsess



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Concerts, Derek is 23 more or less, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Misunderstandings, Scott and Stiles are bros, Scott and Stiles need money for the concert, Stiles is 17, Stiles works in a coffee shop, Texting, high school student!stiles, journalist!Derek, made up bands, made up songs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-24
Updated: 2014-10-24
Packaged: 2018-02-22 10:37:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2504777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IdontlikeIobsess/pseuds/IdontlikeIobsess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles starts working in a coffee shop because he needs the money to go to the concert of his favourite band with Scott.</p>
<p>The problem is, his boss seems to be in love with Derek and his business plan to raise enough money may be a little flawed. Nothing that Stiles Stilinski can't handle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Best Solution

**Author's Note:**

> This is not beta'd so all the mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Thanks for reading :)

“I would give my left kidney!” Scott yells, raising his hand over his head. He frowns after a moment, turning to Allison. “You can live with only one kidney, right?”

“Sure you can, honey. But I really don’t see-”

“I’d sell my entire videogames collection!” Stiles answers back, sighing. Everyone at the table turns to stare at him, sceptical. “Ehy, I’m serious! I need to go to this concert! I mean, me and Scott need to go to this concert. We just need the money!”

“Why don’t you sell it, then?” asks Erica.

“ _Apparently_ , my collection is not that worthy according to the internet experts. I have only the most recent games and everyone is looking for something old and _boring_ ,” Stiles explains. He tried to sell everything on the internet, but the only people interested in his belongings where some fifty-years-old creepers attracted by his profile-picture. When he tells the pack about the last man he had to turn down, Derek’s fork clatters on the plate.

“What concert are we talking about again?” Lydia says, disinterested. She’s looking at her own reflection in the mirror, her body leaning into Jackson’s.

“TBS are doing a gig in New York in three months,” Scott explains. “It’s the event of the year. They never do concerts, this is their first one in forever!” Next to him Stiles is nodding with enthusiasm, his eyes bright with excitement.

“What is TBS?” asks Boyd.

“Sounds like a disease,” says Isaac, visibly proud of his joke. Derek punches his arm to make him stop mocking Scott and Stiles, and Isaac yelps in pain. Stiles smiles at Derek before answering. “ _The Best Solution,_ the greatest band on this planet! I- I can’t even begin to talk about how awesome they are... and don’t let me start with their lyrics!”

“Yeah, they’re so cool,” Scott says. “The only problem is that the concert is in New York, so we need to book a hotel for at least two days and plane tickets.”

“Don’t forget the tickets for the concert,” Stiles says. “It’s a lot of money...but we can do it, Scott! In three months we’ll be singing TBS songs at the top of our lungs and we’ll get to see them live! It’s a promise, buddy. I already found a job. I’ll have the money in no time.”

“What kind of job?” Derek asks.

“One of my father’s ex-deputies decided he didn’t want to be a cop anymore and opened that new coffee shop in town. I start tomorrow...actually, I have to be up in like five hours. I have to open the shop,” Stiles explains. Scott gives him an encouraging pat on the shoulder, smiling at him. “Think about the concert,” Scott says, like it’s not the only thing on Stiles’ mind right now.

Stiles nods and says goodbye to everyone, leaving some change on the table to pay for his part of the dinner. When he looks up one last time Derek is watching him with a half smile and a thoughtful expression, but he doesn’t say anything. Stiles shrugs and steps on the sidewalk outside the restaurant. Tomorrow is going to be a though day.

 

+++

 

_Think about the concert, think about the concert, think about the concert,_ Stiles recites in his head like his own personal mantra. He doesn’t really believe in any religion, but he believes in himself. If he wants to do something, he’ll do it.

The shop is empty because it’s still dark outside, and the few people around are poor devils like him. His mood brightens when he takes in the coffee shop where he’ll be working at for the rest of the summer. It’s a classy one, with carpets on the floor and books on the shelves. Stiles snorts when he reads the titles, but he guesses they’re better than the local newspaper. Stiles doesn’t know a thing about modern art, but there are beautiful paintings on the wall, all bright colours.

Fortunately, Stiles worked in a coffee shop his sophomore year, so his first day isn’t a total disaster, even when the first customers start to arrive. Stiles counts twenty-three frappucinos, twenty-two cappuccinos, nineteen pumpkin-spiced lattes and one black coffee. Even before he looks up at his last costumer, he knows who the order belongs to.

“D-Derek?” Stiles stutters. He doesn’t want to panic, but Derek is standing in front of him with his perfect blue shirt and perfect jeans while Stiles is starting to smell after a morning running back and forth from the coffee machine to the counter and is wearing the horrible uniform his boss expressly asked him to wear, dirty with coffee stains. He even has a hat with the name and the logo of the coffee shop on it. He looks horrible. He feels the urge to crawl under the counter, but Derek has already seen him so there’s no point. Stiles sighs because he’s just that lucky. The only person who managed to attract him since Lydia Martin gets to see him like this.

Of course, Derek is Isaac’s older brother and he isn’t really part of Stiles’ circle of friends. But Derek’s best friend, Boyd, is dating Erica and Isaac and Scott are closer than ever lately. So Stiles got to know Derek pretty well in the last few months and he likes what he sees more and more every day. Derek is sarcastic and kind and he always looks out for everyone. And he’s kind of hot, too.

“Thought I could step by and see how your first day was going,” Derek says, like his first thought in the morning is always about Stiles, like it’s no big deal. “I guess it’s going well.” he adds, gesturing at all the people in shop.

Stiles blushes and nods, hurrying to get the black coffee for Derek. “It’s a nice place,” he says, handing Derek the cup. “Uhm, could you... could you move over there? You’re blocking the line,” Stiles manages to say when he sees an angry little woman huffing behind Derek.

“Oh, yeah, you’re right,” Derek says. He turns to the woman and smiles at her. “I’m sorry, ma’am. It’s just that the new barista is really good, he’s the only one who can get my order right.” The woman visibly relaxes her posture but frowns at Derek’s drink. “It’s just black coffee,” she points out.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Derek says. Then, he turns his back to the lady and sits at one of the few still empty tables. Stiles stares with his mouth open until the woman clears her throat.

“I’ll try the black coffee, too.”

 

+++

 

When the morning rush calms down a little, Derek approaches the counter again. “This place is incredible,” he says. “I was thinking I could get a lot of work done here. The wi-fi actually works and the chairs are comfortable enough. Would you mind?”

“No, not at all,” Stiles answers. If Derek wants to spend his time at Stiles’ work place, where Stiles can admire him without embarrassing himself, who is he to stop him? “What kind of work?”

“Writing some articles, you know. A newspaper in LA liked my work on _Puzzle_ _Pieces_ , so they said they want more.”

Stiles knows Derek writes about music. He was the first subscriber to his music blog and he read every single one of his articles. So, he’s not surprised if Derek is finally getting some recognition from an important newspaper. Stiles doesn’t have the money to go to a lot of concerts, but in his mind he attended every single gig Derek wrote about. Thanks to him, Stiles discovered a lot of good singers and bands. Not TBS, though. Stiles was the one to introduce Derek to their music.

Just when he’s about to tell Derek how happy he is for him, someone yells his name. Stiles looks around, disoriented, and sees Steve, his dad’s ex-deputy and the owner of the shop. He rights himself from where he was leaning towards Derek and straights his shirt, hoping that the coffee stains aren’t too visible.

“Steve!” Stiles says. “Oh, no. I’m sorry! Should I call you boss?”

“Don’t be stupid. I’ve known you since you were a kid,” Steve says. “I’m still Steve to you. I see you’re keeping our costumers entertained.” He smiles at Derek, offering his hand for him to shake.

“I swear I was working,” Stiles says. He’s too worried about losing his job right now to notice the way Steve is looking at Derek, but not so worried to miss the gleeful glint in his eyes. Stiles’ mouth turns down, forming  a tough line. “Derek is just a friend.”

“I’m also a costumer,” Derek says, shaking Steve’s hand. “I really like you place, Steve. The art is amazing.”

“Do you really think so?” Steve asks. Now he looks delighted and Stiles doesn’t like him anymore. “I made the paintings myself. I try to paint in my free time. What do you think, Stiles? Do you like them?”

Stiles gapes. “O-Of course. I mean, I’m no expert but I can see that they are beautiful,” Stiles says, trying not to sound stupid. “I didn’t know you were into art.”

“Yeah, it’s something I picked up about six months ago,” Steve explains. He turns to Derek, smiling again. “Maybe you are interested in seeing a real art show? I have tickets for this exhibit in about two weeks. I’d really like to take someone who seems to appreciate my art so much.”

Now that Stiles really thinks about it, Steve is not so much older than Derek. He has long blond hair and he’s always smiling. After he retired as a cop, he covered his arms with colourful tattoos. His eyes always sparkle, especially when he looks at Derek. They would make a beautiful couple.

Instead of answering, Derek looks at Stiles with a questioning look. “I- I really don’t know. Two weeks it’s a really long time. I may have to work,” Derek says. Stiles is pretty proud of him.

“Oh, you’re absolutely right. Tell you what, I’ll give you my number. If you’re free just let me know,” Steve says. He’s so casual, so _cool_ , that Stiles feels himself flush. He acts like going on a date with someone as hot as Derek is something he does every day. When Stiles snaps back to reality, Derek has Steve’s number memorized on his phone and they’re talking like they’ve known each other for years. Stiles goes back to his coffee machine, serving a costumer and then the next, and the next. When he looks up from the never-ending line, Steve and Derek have moved to one of the tables. They sit close to each other, and Steve keeps smiling.

When he looks up again, they’re both gone.

 

+++

 

A week later, Steve comes into the shop again when Derek is working on his laptop and Stiles is serving a bunch of teenagers. This time, he only waves at Stiles and walks directly to Derek’s table, smiling at him when he sits down.

Stiles sighs. “What can I get you?” he asks the girl in line. He takes her order and, when he’s done, Derek is looking at him from the other side of the counter. Stiles tries to smile. “What can I get you?” he asks.

“A black coffee, a pumpkin spice latte and a piece of cake,” Derek asks. “You look tired. Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine. It’s just that I thought it would have been easier to wake up every morning at five,” Stiles explains. _Plus, Steve seems really into you and he doesn’t stop smiling even for a second_ , he adds in his mind. He gives Derek his order and tells him the price.

“Steve says I don’t have to pay. It’s on him,” Derek says. He looks down, like he’s ashamed.

“Oh, right,” Stiles says. “It’s his shop, I guess he can choose not to let you pay.” Derek shrugs ad takes his coffee with one hand. Before grabbing the cake and the latte, he puts some cash in the tips jar. “You have to be quick if you want to go to that concert. Those tickets won’t be on sale forever,” he says, winking.

“I’m getting there,” Stiles says. “Scott’s working with Deaton almost every day, we’ll get the tickets as soon as we have enough money to afford the trip to New York.”

“I could help, you know. If it’s so important to you,” Derek says. “I could lend you some money and you could pay me back when you can. Or you couldn’t pay me back at all. I don’t mind.”

“What? No, dude, no way! You don’t have to pay for something I want to do. I’m sure me and Scott will get the tickets,” Stiles says. He turns down Derek’s offer even if he really wants to accept. He feels a warm feeling in his chest and his heart beats a little bit faster and his face feels warm. He hopes Derek doesn’t notice.

“Okay.” Derek doesn’t argue. “I’ll go back to my table”

Stiles is once again alone behind the counter. He ogles Derek’s hips as he walks to Steve.

_Think about the concert, think about the concert, think about the concert._

+++

 

If there’s something Stiles really hates about the coffee shop, is the uniform. It’s a dull brownish colour and it’s a little bit thigh for him, so when his turn is almost over and Stiles is dead on his feet, he has some trouble breathing. But something that Stiles hates more than the uniform, is the hat that goes with it. It makes him look like a ten-year-old boy scout and he also hates the fact that Derek sees him wearing it almost every day.

“Why am I doing this again?” Stiles asks. “This job is worse than I thought. It wasn’t like this when I last worked in a coffee shop.”

“You’re doing this for TBS, remember?” Scott says, looking concerned. “You remember the concert, right buddy?”

Stiles looks at his best friend from behind the counter. He takes a deep breath before answering. Scott is right, he’s doing this for the concert. “Of course I remember. It’s just that I hate this hat, you know? I don’t get why Steve wants me to wear it.”

“He’s probably just jealous of you and Derek. Dude, I think Steve is stalking him. Everywhere I go, they’re together. And Derek doesn’t seem like the type to invite anyone anywhere,” Scott says.

“They’re called dates, Scott. Of course Derek likes Steve. He’s attractive, always happy and he’s into art. Do you know how much Derek likes art, right?” Stiles’ shoulders slump down. He serves the next costumer and turns to Scott again. “They’re always here _talking_ and _smiling_ at each other. It’s weird to see Derek smile so much.”

“I thought Derek was here to work,” Scott says.

“He is! Well, when Steve doesn’t show up,” Stiles explains. “Sometimes I just wish I could already be thirty years old, with a cool job and a cool life. I just want to be cool in general. Instead, I’m just a kid working to go to a stupid concert!”

“Dude! What the hell are you saying? You basically were TBS first fan! You can’t talk about them like this. We have rules!” Scott says. He looks scandalized and Stiles feels guilty. Scott, as always, is right.

“Oh my god, you’re right. Look what this job is doing to me.” He strokes his TBS bracelet and smiles a little. “We’re going to that concert. Even if it’s the last thing I do”

“Hell yeah!” Scott yells. All the costumers in the shop turn their heads to stare at him.

 

+++

 

Stiles is walking back to his house from Scott’s when he bumps into Derek and Steve. He notices how they seem to walk in synch and how Steve has one arm draped across Derek’s shoulders. Steve’s the first one to spot him.

“Stiles!” he says, smiling. He’s always smiling, damn him. “What are you doing out so late?”

“Where’s your car?” asks Derek.

“God, I’m just going home. And I don’t want to use the Jeep to go everywhere if I don’t want to waste all my money on gas. Thank for asking, Mum and Dad,” he says. He regrets his words a moment later, when he realizes who he’s talking to. “Uhm, sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“No, you’re right. We shouldn’t ask you so many questions,” Steve says. Next to him, Derek is staring at Stiles with his eyebrows raised. Stiles never had problems telling Derek what he was doing. “But it’s late and we were worried. Ehy, nice shirt,” Steve says.

“Thanks,” Stiles says, stroking his TBS shirt.

“It’s your favourite band? The one your dad told me about?” Steve asks. _God, he’s treating me like a child_ , Stiles thinks.

“Yes” Derek answers, before Stiles can even open his mouth. “It’s called _The Best Solution_ ,” he adds, looking up and down at Stiles’ shirt. Stiles nods, feeling self-conscious about Derek’s eyes on his chest. “Yeah, I want to go to one of their concerts at the end of summer,” Stiles says. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“We were just taking a walk,” Steve says. “Derek and I went to that art exhibit I told you about a while ago. We had a great time.”

“Great,” Stiles says. “It’s been fun talking to you, but I really have to go now.”

“Yeah, don’t make you dad worry more than he already does.”

“My dad doesn’t wait up for me, Steve. I’m seventeen,” he says, sounding like a five-years-old. Steve smiles at him. “Sure you are.” He steps a little bit closer to Derek. Derek frowns but doesn’t push him away and Stiles gets the message.

“See you, guys,” he says, already walking away. He hears Steve’s voice over Derek’s wishing him a good night.

 

+++

 

Stiles wakes up late on Saturday. The shop is closed and it’s summer, so he has nothing to do. His phone chimes near the bed, and he fishes it out from where he left it last night. The blue light tells him he has a new text from Derek.

**Your shirt was cool**

Stiles tries to type an intelligent answer, taking his time. Then, he realizes that Derek texted him and this is already an exceptional event, so he shouldn’t push his luck.

**Duh. Everything about TBS is cool**

**I know. I heard all their songs thanks to you.**

Stiles smiles. He had insisted that Derek couldn’t write about music without listening to TBS at least once in his life.

**I never asked what you favourite TBS song is**

**Don’t let me down is my favourite,** Derek answers after a few seconds. **But I also like Freezing Water and Warm Bed. What about you?**

**I obviously like all their songs. I mean, I have all their albums and I downloaded every song on Itunes. But my favourite song is Lonely on the Road. I can’t even express how much I love that song.**

**It’s good,** Derek types back. Stiles stares at the screen for a while, waiting for a more consistent answer. Nothing comes. He sits up on the bed and he’s about to go down in the kitchen when his phone buzzes.

**Look, the LA newspaper gave me two tickets for a show two towns over. It’s band of college kids and they asked me to do a review. Do you maybe want to come with me?**

Stiles almost drops the phone. Why isn’t Derek asking Steve? Stiles would love to go so much, but he has to work in the morning. He has to wake up at five AM. But he also has the chance to spend a night alone with Derek, so he doesn’t know what to do. While he’s thinking, Derek texts him again.

**I know you have to work in the morning. But it’s a short drive and my boss said these kids are really good. I’d like to have your opinion about them, though. If you don’t feel like coming, it’s okay.**

There’s no chance Stiles could say no, right now. He can sleep when he comes back from work because he’s not letting this chance go away. He’s quick to answer back. He tries to be cool, like he goes to intimate gigs every day.

**No, I can come. I’d love to, actually. Just let me know what time I need to be ready.**

Stiles flops down on the bed again, smiling at the ceiling like an idiot. All Sunday, the Stilinski’s house vibrates with TBS music.

 

+++

 

When Derek texts him to say he’s waiting outside the house, Stiles feels sick.

“I can’t go out with Derek, dad,” Stiles complains. “I’ll just embarrass myself. I’ll probably say something stupid or really childish and he won’t go out with me ever again.”

“So you’re admitting this is a date,” the Sheriff says. Stiles snorts and sits down on the chair in front of his father. “Dad! It isn’t a date! And you’re missing the point. Maybe I should call Steve and ask him to take my place.”

“Sure, call the guy you’ve been hating for the last month,” his dad says. “You’re so stupid sometimes, Stiles!”

“Ehy! I’m your son. You’re supposed to think I’m perfect and smart,” Stiles protest. He bangs his head on the table, thinking about Derek waiting outside.

“You are,” the Sheriff smiles. “But you just can’t think straight when it comes to Derek Hale. Go out with him, son. See how it goes. Then, you’ll make your decisions.”

“I just don’t understand why he asked me. Why not Steve?” Stiles says. “I mean, it’s so obvious they’re dating. They’re always at the coffee shop. Steve never lets him pay, even if Derek always puts his change in the tips jar.”

His dad snorts, rolling his eyes. “Maybe they’re just friends,” he says, patting his son on the shoulder. “You shouldn’t keep him waiting, Stiles.”

Stiles sighs. “Maybe I can fake a flu.”

“ _Stiles_.”

“Diarreha?”

“Stiles! Get out of this house now!” his father says. He grabs Stiles by his armpits and pushes him out of the door, slamming it shut as soon as Stiles is standing on the porch. “Be safe!” his father yells from the other side of the door. Stiles groans and walks over to Derek’s Camaro. He waves when he opens the door and then slides inside, trying to smile at Derek.

“Ehy, Stiles. Everything okay? I thought you were bailing,” Derek says.

“What? No, not at all! It’s just...my dad, you know? He wanted to know where I was going and everything,” Stiles lies. He breathes deep, calming himself down. He wants to be cool, he has to be cool in front of Derek. “So, what’s the name of the band? You didn’t tell me.”

 

+++

 

The _Green Pandas_ are awesome in their own way, Stiles thinks. They’re an indie-pop group of college kids and the lead singer is really good. The songs are great, good lyrics and good rhythm. The audience seems to love them, and Derek moves his head next to Stiles during the concert, sometimes taking notes on his phone and snapping some photos.

“I really like them!” Stiles yells over the music. “I just don’t get the name! Why _Green Pandas_? What does it mean?”

Derek shrugs. “We can ask them later,” Derek says. Stiles’ eyes are huge when Derek’s words sink in. “Are you interviewing them? Oh my god, you’re soooo cool,” he breathes out.

“What?” Derek points to his ears. “I didn’t catch that.”

“Never mind. Just don’t forget to ask them about the name,” Stiles says. Derek just shakes his head, amused. It turns out that the drummer of the group dreamt about green pandas playing one of their songs before they started putting their music out on You Tube. Stiles wanted something more exotic.

“I bet he was stoned,” Stiles says when they’re driving back home. Derek laughs at that, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “They seem like the kind of guys who smoke weed every day. Maybe that’s why their songs are so good.”

“It’s a shame I can’t add your opinion in my review,” Derek says, still smiling. They stay in silence for a while before Derek speaks again. “Do you want something to eat?” he asks.

“I would kill for a Big Mac right now,” Stiles admits. “If that’s okay? We can always eat something else.”

“No, McDonald is perfect,” Derek says. He drives to the nearest McDonald, where Stiles eats like there’s no tomorrow. He moans and eats, shameless, while Derek sips slowly on his Coke, watching him like a hawk.

“So, where’s Steve tonight?” Stiles asks around a mouthful of his chicken nuggets. “Was he busy?”

Derek looks at him for a moment before he answers. “I don’t really know. He said something about a trip to Washington. He’s opening a new coffee shop there.”

“Wow, he’s really taking this coffee shop business seriously, right?” Stiles says.

“I guess,” Derek answers. “Stiles- Look, I...I’m not dating Steve. You know that, right? I want you to know that.”

“Yeah, but you’ll get there, Derek. He’s obviously already in love with you. You’ll just have to wait until he ask,” Stiles says, feeling his heart clench in his chest. “You have so many things in common. Like, you both like to read.”

“You like to read, too, Stiles,” Derek says.

“Yeah, I know. But I never read one of those books he put in the coffee shop. Like, who reads Anna Karenina while he’s sipping coffee?”

Derek laughs. “Yeah, I know. But, what I’m trying to say is... I’m not interested in dating Steve. I’m interested in someone else”

“Oh,” Stiles says. His stomach is in knots now. _Someone more perfect than Steve? I’m really fucked now._ ”I-I’m happy for you, dude. I really am.”

Derek groans and puts his head between his arms on the table. “Stiles, don’t let me say it out loud. You’re the smartest person I’ve ever met. Figure this out!” he says, his voice muffled by his arms.

“Derek? What are you talking about? I got it, you’re in love with someone else. I don’t know what I can do for you, man!”

Derek lifts his head a little, only his eyes peeking out. “Why do you think I come to the coffee shop every morning? At seven AM? My loft is much more comfortable and silent. Can you think of a very good reason?”

“I thought you came to meet Steve,” Stiles says, honestly.

“Oh my god,” Derek says, sinking his head back between his arms.

“Boys, we’re closing,” says one of the guys who’s cleaning the floor next to their table.

“What? It’s only two! What if someone gets hungry in the middle of the night?” Stiles asks, shocked. They guy looks at him, unimpressed. “Plus, we’re having a serious conversation here. Can’t you see that?”

“I can see your friend is drunk. Get him out of here.”

“I’m not drunk,” Derek says. He straightens himself and gets up, grabbing Stiles on his way. They get to the car but Derek doesn’t let them in, holding the keys in his hands.

“I can’t believe I have to do this in a McDonald’s parking lot,” Derek whispers. He steps closer to where Stiles is standing and takes his hands. He breathes deep and leans over so that his face is inches from Stiles’. “I’m not interested in Steve because I really like this guy I’ve know for a while. He gives me mixed signals, you know. Sometimes he’s always smiling at me and he’s willing to spend the entire night with me. Some other times he ignores me and he doesn’t really listen when I talk. Do you know why he does that?” Derek asks.

Stiles shakes his head, unable to speak. “I do,” Derek says. “He doesn’t think I could be attracted by him. He thinks I’m in love with someone like Steve when every day I have him right in front of my eyes. He’s smart, beautiful and he has a great taste in music. He made me discover this awesome band some time ago and I’m still grateful for that.”

At this, Stiles’ face lights up. “Are you serious?” he asks.

“Very,” Derek says. He slips his arms around Stiles’ waist and pulls him closer. “Stiles?” Derek says suddenly. “Are you okay? You look a little...green?”

“Oh god, all those chicken nuggets!” Stiles says. “And YOU! And your declarations! I might be sick,” Stiles admits. He pulls away from Derek, holding himself up on the car.

“Good, I make you sick,” Derek says.

“It’s not you, idiot! It’s just too overwhelming. Do you even know I thought you were going out with Steve all this time?” Stiles pants. He doesn’t want to throw up. He breathes and thinks about something beautiful. He thinks about flowers and the smell of coffee he knows so well. He doesn’t think about chicken nuggets or Derek.

“I’m sorry. I thought I was being obvious,” Derek says.

“Obvious? You’re the opposite of obvious, Derek,” Stiles says. He feels a little better now, but he needs to be alone right now and think this through.

“I’m taking you home,” Derek says, like he’s read his mind. “We’ll talk about his tomorrow, okay?”

Stiles can only nod. Finally, Derek opens the car and they jump in. Stiles tries not to puke on his way back.

 

+++

 

It’s three in the morning when he comes back home and stumbles in his room. He takes a shower and drinks a lot of water. His dad was right. Derek makes him do stupid things.  When he thinks about what just happened, he slaps himself to check if maybe he’s dreaming. Derek Hale he’s in love with him. He feels the need to text Scott.

**Derek Hale is in love with me. Like, he said it, I’m not making this up.**

**Dude, it’s three in the morning. You have to be up in two hours. What the fuck are you doing?** Then, a second later. **Oh god, I don’t want to know the details.**

Stiles frowns at the screen. **There are no details. I almost puked on him.**

**Too many chicken nuggets?** Scott types back.

**That’s why you’re my best friend. We didn’t even kiss! What should I do? I can’t wait ‘til tomorrow!**

**Sneak out. Go to his house. Have sex with him. Do what you want, just let me sleep!** Scott answers. When Stiles tries to ask him if he’s serious, Scott doesn’t answer anymore. So, Stiles does the only thing he can think about. He follows Scott’ advice.

 

+++

 

Derek’s loft is dark except for a dim light coming from the living room’s window. Stiles doesn’t want to ring the bell and wake up all the neighborhood, so he sends Derek a message.

**I’m outside your loft. Open, please?**

Derek opens the door ten seconds later. He’s still wearing the clothes from before and he seems as wired as Stiles feels right now. Stiles doesn’t talk. Bad things happen when he talks. He launches forward and kisses  Derek, using the very little technique he thinks he has. Stiles stumbles and trips on his own feet, but Derek catches him and lifts him up, making Stiles hook his legs around Derek’s waist.

“You have to be up in one hour and a half,” Derek says. “And I have to be up in two hours and a half to come to your damn coffee shop so I can see you.”

Stiles laughs, high on Derek’s kisses on his neck. “Good. This means we still have an hour and a half to make out. Because I want to make out. Do you?” Stiles asks. For a second, he’s actually concerned Derek will say no, but then Derek tightens his grip on Stiles’ ass and he doesn’t have any more doubts. He kisses Derek back, trying to keep his pace, and he’s breathless before he would like to. He lifts his head and lets Derek kiss his neck again, feeling on top of the world.

“How can you hold me like this and not get tired? I know I’m skinny, but I still have some muscles!” Stiles protests. “Don’t you want to put me on the couch? Maybe the bed?” Stiles asks.

“Not really,” Derek says. “I’d rather pin you up against the wall...” he adds, pushing Stiles on the nearest wall. “...and keep kissing you. We can get to the bed later.”

Stiles doesn’t really feel like complaining. Suddenly, he’s aware of a lot of things. Derek’s stubble is scraping against the skin of his face and neck. Derek is making little whimpering sounds at the back of his throat and he keeps saying Stiles’ name between a kiss and the other. His back is starting to hurt because Derek is pushing him up against the wall, but he doesn’t say anything because he doesn’t want Derek to stop. Finally, he’s aware that his eyes are starting to close.

“Stiles?” Derek asks when he feels that Stiles is not responding as he should.

“I’m sorry. I-I’d really like to keep going, but I woke up at five this morning and now is almost four and it’s been almost twenty-four hours without sleeping. You can wait until tomorrow, right? You won’t run away, right?” Stiles asks, trying to stay awake.

“You’re such an idiot,” Derek says. “You’re not driving back like this. You can sleep here, you still have an hour.”

“Thank you. Do you think maybe... you could carry me to the bedroom?” Stiles says, half smiling. Derek snorts and steps back from the wall, carrying Stiles to the bed and settling down next to him.

 

+++

 

Two very important things happen the next day. Stiles falls asleep on the job, dropping the cup of coffee he was holding. Steve is right there to see him and when he steps closer to see what’s going on, his eyes takes in the stubble burn on Stiles’ face and his swollen lips. He looks at Stiles’ messy hair and at his sleep-deprived eyes. In that moment, Derek walks in the coffee shop and smiles so brightly at Stiles that a smart guy like Steve can’t really miss the hint.

Stiles is fired at the end of the day, and Derek and Steve argue because Steve though they were serious. For the first time, Stiles sees the whole situation as an outsider, understanding that Steve was forcing Derek into something he didn’t want, when Derek was good with being just friends. Stiles just sleeps in Derek’s car until they’re done.

When he wakes up, he’s in Derek’s bed and Derek is reading next to him. Stiles stretches and yawns and Derek throws the book on the floor to kiss Stiles, circling him in a hug. “I didn’t want to wake you up but...I couldn’t wait to kiss you again,” Derek whispers in his ear. Stiles shivers, but then he starts to think like a coherent person again.

“Oh my god, what time is it?” he asks. Derek pulls back a little and looks at him. “I already texted you father, so you don’t have to worry. He just said you have to be home for dinner. It’s five, by the way.”

“In the morning”?

“No, dumbass. It’s five PM. You didn’t sleep that long,” Derek smiles. Then, his face falls down. “I’m sorry Steve fired you because of me. He- he really thought we were in relationship. I mean, we went out sometimes and he had this weird habit of touching me everywhere-”

“Yeah, so weird,” Stiles says, stroking Derek’s back. “I don’t know what he was thinking.”

Derek rolls his eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt him. I guess I was so focused on you I didn’t even notice.”

“He was a little bit vengeful anyway,” Stiles yawns again. “I worked for him for almost a month and a half so I saved up some money. I’ll just have to find another job for the next few weeks.”

“I’m sure you’ll find something,” Derek says. He rolls them over so Stiles is on top of him and puts his hands on Stiles’ hips. “Or you could just let me pay for at least your plane tickets. You know I don’t mind.”

Stiles huffs. “I don’t want to waste all the time I spent in that damn coffee shop,” he says. “I know you won’t have any problems paying for me and Scott, but I can do it, Derek. I made a plan and all.”

“Fine” Derek concedes. He sits up and pulls Stiles closer, grabbing his neck and kissing him again. “I trust your plan.”

 

+++

 

Stiles finds a new job at the library. His dad gives him a lift in the morning and Derek comes to pick him up at the end of his turn so he doesn’t waste money on gas. Stiles learns to be quiet (as quiet as he can possibly be) because Mrs. Reily, one of his father’s oldest friends and the head of the Beacon Hills Library, shots him a nasty look every time his voice gets a little too high.

With this new arrangement, he can spend almost every afternoon with Derek and, the most of the times, they end up at his loft because Derek lives alone and they don’t have to worry about parents or noisy friends. Three weeks before the concert, Scott calls Stiles while Derek is kissing and nipping at his nipples. Stiles is so out of it that he hears his ringtone only when Derek grunts and stops, raising his head to look at Stiles’ blissed out face.

“Stiles, your phone is ringing,” Derek says, annoyed. “It could be you father.”

“My father knows where I am, Derek. And I think he has a pretty good idea of what I’m doing with you so, _please_ , keep going,” Stiles pants. His phone stops ringing and Stiles tries to grab Derek’s shoulders and pull him closer. Just when Derek is about to take off Stiles’ boxers, his phone rings again.

“Oh my gooood,” Stiles says. “I hope this is important.” Stiles drawls into the phone. Scott is on the other side of the line, yelling and talking about something Stiles can’t really understand. He looks at Derek, but he just shrugs and keeps kissing Stiles’ chest and belly.

“Scott, calm down. What happened?” Stiles says, trying to focus on his best friend rather than Derek’s tongue on him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Stiles! Everything’s fine! I finally have enough money for the concert! We can get the tickets!” Scott says. Stiles can hear that his friend is jumping up and down with excitement, but his reaction is the exact opposite. “Oh god, are you serious?” he says, stilling.

“Yes! Where are you? We have to meet right now!”

“Uhm... well, I’m at Derek’s,” Stiles says. He looks down, where Derek is kissing is navel. Stiles’ legs jerk up and he almost kicks Derek in his crotch. He shots Stiles an unimpressed look and Stiles lifts his shoulders in apology.

“Dude! You’re having sex in a moment like this?”

“I’m not having sex!” Stiles protests.

“We could be if you two could just talk about this later,” Derek growls. He licks all the way from Stiles’ happy trail to his collarbone and Stiles’ eyes flutter shut.

“We can’t talk about this later, Derek! Scott has the money for the concert. He can come over, right?” Stiles asks, tugging at Derek’s hair.

“When?”

“Ehm, now?” Stiles says. Derek snorts and rolls off Stiles, standing up from the bed to put some clothes on. “Tell Scott he can come” Derek says. Stiles fist pumps in the air and walks over to Derek, hugging him from behind.

“Dude, see you in ten minutes,” Stiles says into the phone. Then, he hangs up. “My boyfriend’s the best,” he tells Derek. “Once I put my hands on those tickets, I swear nothing will distract me anymore,” he promises.

“Yeah, like that could be possible. Come on, let’s go and boot up my laptop,” Derek says, taking Stiles’ hand and dragging him to the living room.

 

+++

 

Stiles and Scott stare at Derek’s laptop with blank expressions. The screen shows them TBS official fan page and, at the bottom, there are a bunch of letters written in red that none of them can really process.

“Maybe I’m dyslexic. I don’t think I’m reading this right,” Scott says. He pulls the laptop closer, like that could change the meaning of the red letters. In that moment, Derek returns from the kitchen and sits down next to Stiles, putting one hand on his tigh. Stiles doesn’t even acknowledge him and keeps staring at the screen.

“The show’s sold out,” he whispers. “We have the money and there are no more tickets.” He turns to Scott, devastated. “We can’t go to the concert, Scott.”

“What? No!” Scott says. “We worked so hard for this. I spent every day at the animal clinic and you smelt like coffee all summer!” he adds. “That’s not fair.”

“I like the way you smell,” Derek says in Stiles’ ear.

“Derek! That’s not the moment to show your romantic side! We’re having an existential crisis, can’t you see that?” Stiles barks. All his dreams are over, all the songs he wanted to sing out loud with his best friend are gone. He won’t ever see TBS live. He turns to Derek. “Sorry, it’s just that we wanted to go to this concert so bad.”

Derek nods, like he understands. “Well, before you two idiots kill yourselves, I have something to tell you,” Derek says, standing up from the couch and disappearing upstairs.

“Oh god, now he’s going to lecture us on how we should have made a better plan to save our money,” Scott says. “I shouldn’t have paid for so many dates with Allison. And you shouldn’t have bought your Dad his birthday present.”

Stiles sighs. “You’re right. He’s forty-nine anyway, what does he need a birthday present for?”

“I feel like we wasted all our summer. We could have gone to the beach or to the pool. Allison went to the pool almost every day and she’s so tanned now,” Scott says. Next to him, Stiles nods. “Look at us” he says. “We’re so pale.”

“Please, stop,” Derek says, reappearing from the stairs. “I should probably record this for your future- selves.”

“What are you talking about, Derek?” Stiles says. “I feel like I should warn you. Tonight I’ll need some extra cuddles to get over this”

Derek sighs and sits on the armchair, opposite from Scott and Stiles. “When Stiles told me about your plan to save money, I knew it wasn’t going to work. Sure, you two worked hard and earned some money, but Scott still had to go out with Allison and Stiles still had to use his Jeep sometimes,” Derek says.

“He also had to buy his Dad that expansive razor,” Scott says. Stiles elbows him in the ribs and puts a finger on his mouth to make him shut up. Derek laughs.

“You wanted to go to this concert so bad, I thought I could buy you the tickets _before_ you had the money...”

“What?” Stiles yells.

“...so in case something like this happened, you could still go to the concert,” Derek finishes. He fishes up an envelope from his pocket and throws it at Stiles. Scott yanks it away from his hands and opens it. Two gold and grey tickets slip out from the envelope and end up in Scott’ lap.

“I can’t believe it,” they both whisper. Then, their reactions are so different that Derek regrets not having this filmed. Scott instantly disappears to call Allison and tell her the news. When Scott is gone, Stiles launches himself at Derek and straddles his lap, circling his arms around Derek’s neck and kissing him.

“I can’t believe you did this for us,” Stiles says between kisses.

“I did this for you, Stiles. I bought two tickets because I knew you wanted to go with Scott. It was your thing,” Derek says, kissing Stiles back. “I have a condition, though.”

“What is it? Do you want a blowjob every day? I can do that, you know. I can do anything you ask.”

Derek snorts and bits down at Stiles’ throat. “You can’t pay me back. You can still pay for your trip to New York but the concert tickets are a gift. I don’t want my money back.”

“But...those tickets were really expensive. And you gave us the best seats!” Stiles says, frowning.

“You know I don’t care,” Derek says. “I just wanted to see you happy and if all I have to do is buy you two tickets for your favourite band, then it’s all worth it.”

Stiles smiles but doesn’t answer. Instead, he slips his hands under Derek’s shirt and puts his palms on his chest. He takes off the shirt a moment later and takes his times kissing Derek’s soft skin. “I love you,” Stiles says. “So much. Like, I can’t even describe how fast my heart is pounding right now. It almost feels like it’s exploding.”

“Can I listen?” Derek asks. Stiles nods and takes Derek’s hand, placing it over his heart. “You don’t think this is stupid, right? Obsessing over a band so much?” Stiles asks.

Derek stop kissing his neck and looks at him right in the eyes. “Stiles, nothing about music is stupid. You can like TBS or you can like the newest pop-sensation. It doesn’t matter. If it makes you feel better, then it can only be good.”

Stiles smiles up at him. “I listened to TBS a lot after my mum died. Their first album helped me through those first months without her. When the second album came out, I had just started high-school and I couldn’t fit in. I met Scott because I was listening to one of their songs on my phone and he liked it.”

“I like the third album the best,” Derek said.

“The third album was the first one I made you listen to. It just came out and I was blasting their new songs in my car when you knocked on my window.”

“You were _dancing_ ,” Derek remembers.

“I wasn’t!” Stiles protest. But he’s lying, he was. “The third album is perfection.”

“I love you, too,” Derek whispers.

When Scott comes back to see if Stiles is ready to go home, he finds his best friend on the couch under Derek. They’re kissing like there’s no tomorrow and Scott’s face scrunches up in disgust.

“Guys! I didn’t need to see this!”

There’s no answer.

 

+++

 

**Dude!!! I can’t thank you enough for those tickets! The concert is awesome!!**

Derek rolls his eyes at the screen and types out a reply.

  **If I hadn’t seen you naked and moaning my name last night, I’d think you have a crush on the front man.**

Jake Q., the lead singer of TBS, is attractive, Derek has no problem admitting it. And he’s been in Stiles’ room multiple times now, he has seen the posters.

**DEREK!!**

**Scott is looking at me now. I think he knows I’m hard.**

**And of course I have a crush on Jake. You’ve seen my room.**

Derek smiles at the screen and opens up the video Stiles attached. TBS is singing Stiles’ favourite song, Lonely on the Road, and the arena where the concert takes place is packed and full of lights. When the song is half way through, Stiles turns the camera towards himself and sings the rest of the song for Derek. He’s off-key, but Derek is too focused on Stiles’ lips and Stiles’ happy face to notice the way he sings.

“Wish you were here with me!” Stiles says at the end of the video.

**You look beautiful. I can’t wait to see you again,** Derek types. He gets a row of hearts as a reply that has him smiling like an idiot for the rest of the night.

 

+++

 

 

 

 


End file.
